Do I need to do anything to my roses after the petals fall off the blossoms?

Question

Hi, this is my first year with roses, they were here when I moved into my house. I pruned them down to my knees on President's day like my mother told me and they have all grown out well and blossomed beautifully these last several weeks. Do I need to do anything to them once the petals fall off the blossoms? I want to keep them nice and healthy.

Answer 1

Yes, you maintain your roses by pruning off the dead blooms.  Usually, you will make a cut below the expired bloom and just above the fist or second 5-lobed leaf.  They'll most likely be leaves on both sides, so make your cut just above the one that will make the new shoot point outwards and away from the plants center.  This will ensure that rose keeps good form while it;s producing new shoots and flowers.

Roses need feeding every 4-6 weeks.  Miracle gro

Answer 2

Yes your need to "dead-head"  them before the petals fall off once they begin to die out.

University of Illinois

Dead-heading/with illustration

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/roses/prune...

You must always cut at a 45% angle...and use by-pass pruners rather than anvil pruners.

PS Miracle gro makes a fertilizer especially for roses.

Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble Rose Plant Food

Enjoy beautiful roses with Miracle-Gro.

http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/produc...

Answer 3

Snip the spent blossom off down the stem to the first set of 5 leaves you come to. =) Oh, and don't snip off that 5 leaf stem, rather, just above it.

If you look closely you'll see a very tiny "bud" looking thing protruding at the point the 5 leaf branch is attached to the main stem or stalk. That tiny bud will grow into your next bloom!